


Red Roses and Forget-Me-Nots

by quirkily



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Angst, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Floriography, Flower meanings, Fluff, Gay Keith (Voltron), M/M, allura and coran are like briefly mentioned im sorry, mild homophobia from minor characters, thinking and talking about sex but no smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-22 17:12:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14313381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quirkily/pseuds/quirkily
Summary: The year is 1887, and Lance has decided to take advantage of the flowers growing in the greenhouse at their new manor and has begun to sell flower arrangements in Covent Garden. Lance has always loved floriography and flower meanings, and after meeting a handsome boy at his stall they discover sending love messages through flowers is really quite a good form of communication.





	1. Violet Roses for Love at First Sight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bleulily (winterfells)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterfells/gifts), [Corporallevilover](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corporallevilover/gifts).



> This is a fic written for the Klance Reverse Bang 2018, inspired by the amazing artwork and prompt done by bleulily on [tumblr](http://bluelily.tumblr.com). A huge thanks to monxdragon on [tumblr](http://monxdragon.tumblr.com) for beta-ing this flowery mess and providing lovely commentary. Any remaining mistakes are entirely my fault and likely caused by last-minute paranoia to make everything perfect. This has been such an awesome experience for me and I'm really proud of how this fic turned out, so I hope you enjoy!
> 
> You can find Moira's awesome artwork that pairs up with this fic on her [twitter](http://twitter.com/moirarmz7) or [here](http://bleulily.tumblr.com/post/173078178405/heres-a-little-comic-i-drew-for-a-collab-i-did)
> 
> You can find me on my [tumblr](http://quirkyreader.tumblr.com) or my [writing tumblr](quirkilyscribbles.tumblr.com) where I will likely upload this fic to soon.

Not that Lance would ever admit it out loud, but his brother’s idea to make use of the greenhouse was actually quite good. They were standing right in the middle of the large glass building, and in every direction, all Lance could see was surfaces covered in flowers and plants.  
Lance spun around on his heel, arms in the air and let out a whoop of delight, “I feel as if I am in a jungle!”

Edgar chuckled and turned away from the plant he was watering, making his way to the row of pots behind Lance, “No large animals in here, thank goodness. Although I am glad that you like the greenhouse.”

“Is it any surprise?” Lance tilted his head curiously, “You are hardly the only member of our family to have an affinity for the garden.”

It’s true. The McClains are famous for their flower arrangements, and their grandfather’s estate had the best garden in London. A twinge of sadness followed the pride, as Lance remembered the estate is now theirs, and not Grandfather’s. 

“I suppose it should not be a surprise.” Edgar moved away to fill up his brand new watering can, and Lance moved some pots and brushed soil off the bench before pushing himself up to sit in the space he made. 

When Ed turned around he just shook his head and returned to water his plants.

“Although some of us have always been more interested in the care of the plants, rather than just admiring them from afar,” Edgar gestured to Lance’s position on the bench. 

Lance ignored the insult, “Well I can assure you I am definitely admiring the plants in here. Though we are in very close proximity so I wouldn’t exactly call this ‘from afar’. If the plants were people we’d practically be engaging in-”

Lance was cut off by a stream of water soaking through his clothing, “Edgar! Ed! I am aware my shirt is green, but I am in fact not a plant. These are trousers, not a plant pot!”

“Is that so?” Edgar’s tone remained nonchalant but his smirk gave him away, “From what you were saying about being one with the plants, I could not help but infer that you also were a plant.”

“Well I am not,” Lance added petulantly, jumping off the bench and brushing off his clothes, “I shall leave you with all of your friends.”

“There’s no one else here,” Ed called after him. 

“Exactly.” Lance swaggered out of the greenhouse, with a grin on his face and a soaked shirt. 

~~~

Covent Garden was busy. Covent Garden was always busy, but in Lance’s opinion, today was particularly busy. The first light of the day was starting to appear on the horizon, Lance noticed when he finally got a break from selling flowers. Lance hadn’t thought he’d been at the markets for that long, but he’d been here since they had opened at midnight. It seemed that time had flown by much quicker than usual, and it was simply because Lance had had more customers than usual. Lance leaned on his table and looked out into the rest of the market, watching the crowd diminish as a new day’s work cycle begun. 

He was so distracted that he didn’t notice he had another customer until they cleared their throat at him. Lance startled so much that he knocked one of his display bouquets off the table.  
Lance quickly stood up straight and flashed the attractive young man his best smile before hurriedly picking up the flowers and putting them back in their place.

The customer had quickly gone from looking uncomfortable to looking extremely apologetic, repeatedly mumbling “I’m so sorry”. 

Lance cut him off after he had fixed his flowers, “Not at all. I apologize, very poor work practice on my behalf. How is one meant to sell their products, if they are not even aware of their customers?” 

Lance gave a small fake chuckle, hoping he had not just lost a customer. 

To his surprise, he seemed to have calmed the young man down and Lance watched as his posture relaxed quite significantly.

“I’m Keith,” he said putting out his hand in introduction before a look of embarrassment and fear swept across his face and he quickly withdrew his hand as if suddenly realizing that it was not normal practice to introduce oneself to a stall merchant. 

Lance gave a loud genuine laugh this time, “Nice to meet you, Keith. My name is Lance.”

“Can I interest you in any of my flowers?” Lance asked, sweeping his hands to gesture at all of the flowers arranged behind him. 

“Oh.” Keith looked on edge again, and Lance longed for him to be relaxed again, “Um. Possibly. I’m not sure what most of them are. Honestly, I just came over because they looked pretty.”

“Why Keith,” Lance gasped putting a hand over his heart, “Don’t you just know the way into a man’s heart? Keep up the compliments darling, it might just get you a discount.”

Lance knew flirting was a risky move, but Keith did not seem the type to cause a fuss, and Lance was confident in his ability to play it off as a joke. If worse came to worse, Lance’s family reputation and his father’s position in the government would no doubt save him. 

Lance waited hesitantly for a reply, but Keith didn’t say anything. His cheeks had gone quite scarlet, though Lance was not sure if this was because of anger or for a much nicer reason. 

When Keith awkwardly picked up a flower from the stand and asked what type of flower it was, Lance felt a bubble of happiness in his chest. The red cheeks were definitely a good reaction. Lance saw his opportunity and he seized it.

“That’s a gardenia,” Lance answered nodding to the flower Keith was holding, “but the type of flower doesn’t matter so much as what it means.”

“What it means?” Keith looked so adorably confused. 

“Yes. Every flower has a different meaning, usually multiple meanings actually, and sometimes combinations of flowers make a new meaning altogether.”

“That’s nice.”

“It definitely is.” Lance grinned at Keith, waiting for the response he was trying to get.

“What does this one mean?” There it is.

Lance grinned even wider and leaned on the table so his face came closer to Keith’s, “You’re lovely.”

“W-what?”

Lance flicked his eyes to Keith’s lips before abruptly moving back and standing up again, “‘You’re lovely’ is one the meanings of Gardenias. They can also mean ‘joy’, ‘good luck’, ‘secret love’, and ‘sweet love’. But ‘You’re lovely’ is my favourite.” 

Lance winked at Keith, taking far too much enjoyment in how flustered he was making the other boy. 

“O-oh. Okay.” Keith nodded, unsure of what to say.

Lance rummaged through the flowers behind him and started putting together a bouquet. Keith was still a customer after all.

“Those are roses,” Keith said suddenly, surprised and proud that he recognised something.

“Yes, Violet Roses,” Lance nodded, and showed Keith a strand of small white flowers before adding it to the bouquet, “Do you know what this is?”

Keith shook his head.

“It’s called Babie’s Breath, and it means innocence and pure of heart.”

Keith nodded, looking interested.

Lance tied up his finished bouquet, “Is this one okay?”

Keith nodded and handed over some coins, “It’s beautiful.”

Lance handed him the bouquet and gave him one of the coins back, “A discount for my gorgeous flattering customer.”

Keith blushed again and mumbled out a “thank you”. 

Keith hesitated, “What do the roses mean?”

Lance smiled and leaned in once again.

“Love at first sight.”

And with another wink from Lance, Keith was gone, disappearing into the crowd. The rest of the market shift goes much slower, and Lance was quite sure it has little to do with the reduced amount of customers and much to do with the messy-haired flustered boy taking up most of the space in his mind.


	2. Jonquils for “Return my Affection”

Lance was surprised.

“I'm just surprised!” Lance informed his best friend Hunk, pacing around his large bedchamber.

“No,” Hunk shook his head slowly, “No, nothing about the way you are acting suggests you are ‘just surprised’.”

That caused Lance to pause his pacing, “Whatever do you mean?”

“I’m an easily surprised person,” Hunk started explaining, relaxing back on Lance’s bed where he had taken a seat. 

Lance smirked, “Yes, I am aware.”

Hunk was startled by almost everything and had to know every detail about a situation before entering it. Lance often teased him about it, but in truth, he was extremely protective of his friend. 

Ever-patient Hunk shot Lance an exasperated look before continuing, “Therefore, I know what surprise is. Surprise is many things; it is shock, it is pausing what you are doing, feeling frozen, having your heartbeat speed up in your chest, must I go on?”

Lance shook his head. It was best to let Hunk finish his speeches, he was usually right. Not that Lance ever took his advice.

“Surprise is not, however, pacing about while talking about a boy for over an hour without a breathe in between your words and a dreamy look in your eye. There are many other words that could be used to describe that, but surprise is not one of them.”

Lance sighed, rolling his eyes. Hunk had made his point, but Lance was not sure where he was going with it. 

“Obsession, perhaps,” Hunk mused, tapping a thoughtful finger to his chin, “Infatuation. Definitely infatuation.”

Lance sat down on the bed next to Hunk and lightly hit his friend in the arm. Perhaps he was wrong. Sometimes it was not best to let Hunk finish his speeches. 

“Fine. I am not ‘just surprised’,” Lance conceded, ignoring the end of Hunk’s speech, “But there is still an element of surprise to my emotions! I flirt all the time, it is one of my many talents.”

Hunk started nodding before slowly shaking his head, “I would hardly go so far as to say you are talented at it.”

“Thank you, Hunk. Your input is much appreciated,” Lance drawled sarcastically, “As I was saying, before you so rudely interrupted, I am used to flirting, it's fun! I thought that was all it was. However…” Lance trailed off. 

“However, now you are infatuated.” Hunk nodded in understanding.

Lance fell backwards as dramatically as he could manage, lying down on his bed and shaking his head at the ceiling, “Honestly, can a man not express his emotions without being ridiculed?”

Hunk shook his head, “Not in this cruel, harsh world.”

Lance let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

“Come on!” Hunk sounded back to his cheery self now that Lance had stopped his incessant rambling about the attractive Keith (“honestly Hunk he was just so gorgeous”), “Let’s go down to the kitchen, I’ll make you something that will cheer you up.”

Lance was quite sure that Hunk was more focused on cheering himself up, but he got up off the bed anyway.

Lance was already back to his light-hearted banter by the time they reached his bedchamber doorway, “I knew you had an ulterior motive for coming to visit me! Always taking advantage of me for use of my kitchen Hunk, shame on you.”

“It’s hardly my fault that you have a massive kitchen area! It is far better than mine. It calls to me in the night ‘Hunk, visit Lance so you can cook in his massive kitchen’, that’s what it whispers.”

As Lance laughed with his best friend, he could almost believe that Keith would disappear from his mind shortly.

~~~

This time, Lance actually was surprised. 

“Someone asked the gardener of the flowers to deliver their own flowers to the seller of the flowers, who happens to be their brother?” Lance asked Edgar incredulously. 

The two brothers were still standing in the foyer where Ed had run into Lance after coming in from his greenhouse. 

Ed nodded looking equally as confused as Lance felt, “Yes.”

“So they bought our flowers, and then gifted them back to us?”

“No, they gifted them back to you in particular. They were very worried about making sure the flowers were getting to the right person.”

Lance stared down at the bouquet he was holding in confusion. It was only after he noticed and read the paper tag that anything made any sense. 

Lance could not stop laughing, but refused to answer any of Ed’s questions, avoiding them altogether by saying he needed to put his flowers away. 

It was only after he had unpacked the flowers and they were displayed on the desk in his room by the window, that it occurred to Lance that the flowers might have a meaning. He was unsure, as Keith had shown no prior knowledge of flower meanings, and these were not any of the flowers Lance had taught him. However, Lance had not been expecting to ever hear from Keith again let alone receive flowers from him, so it was not any more unlikely that Keith would research some flower meanings.

Lance was quite confident in his knowledge of flower meanings, but he did not want to misread Keith’s message so he started flicking through his floriography book. He found the meaning of Daffodil first, as the book was ordered alphabetically. Lance’s heart sank a small fraction as he read the definition.

_Daffodils for unrequited love and uncertainty._

However, Lance was still hopeful as the daffodils were not the main flower in the arrangement, and he could not comprehend why Keith would pay money and put effort into research simply to reject Lance. He could simply have ignored him and they could easily have never met again. London was a big city, after all. Besides, if Lance’s memory served correctly…

Lance kept flicking through the book until he stopped on the right page, his face breaking out into a grin. 

_Jonquils for “return my affection”._

There was no way the meanings could be a coincidence, it was not a common combination of flowers and Edgar knew more about caring for the flowers than arranging them. Keith must have requested them. Meaning, Keith was asking Lance if he returned Keith’s affection. The combination of the daffodils was a bit messy and contradictory, but for a first attempt it was easy enough for Lance to comprehend- Keith was uncertain if his love and affection were unrequited or not.  
Lance needed to reply, and he already had a plan. 

He debated asking Ed if Keith had left his address, but decided against it. It would just cause his brother to ask too many questions and Lance was not ready for his family to know about his attraction to men. Hunk was the only one he had confided in and he had left hours ago after they had eaten the delicious meal Hunk had made. Besides, Lance figured Hunk had put up with his talk of Keith already and did not need to be bothered further. 

No, Lance would do this alone. 

~~~

Keith was overthinking. 

He overthought things a lot. At least, that was what Shiro kept informing him of. 

“You make reckless and impulsive decisions,” Shiro said now, placing a cup of tea down on the table in front of Keith, “and then you worry about the consequences afterwards. You worry about them quite a bit. Overthink them if I dare say so.”

“You do dare,” Keith added dryly, “You dare say so quite frequently.”

Shiro rolls his eyes at him, “All I am saying is that maybe if you did this thinking beforehand you would not make these decisions.”

Keith raised an eyebrow at Shiro as he took a gulp of his tea.

“Okay, fair point. You probably would still make the same decision. Therefore, what is the point in worrying about what will come of it?”

“It gives me something to do.”

Shiro laughed, “I am quite sure I could find plenty of work to occupy your time.”

Keith gave a faint smile, “I am fine with wondering whether or not it was a good decision to give flowers to a boy I only met once.”

Shiro smirked, “Well technically you did not give him the flowers, you had someone else give him the flowers.”

Keith groaned and banged his head on the table, sloshing some tea out of the cup, “I know. I am quite aware of how I bought flowers from his own manor’s greenhouse, therefore in part his own flowers, and then had his brother deliver them to him.”

Shiro is trying very hard not to laugh and to seem empathetic, but he is not doing a very good job. 

“I suppose,” Keith says, sounding exhausted, “that even if he does not appreciate the gift, he still profited from my purchase. Two purchases in fact.”

“True,” Shiro nods but he still looks far more amused than convinced.

Keith was startled out of his worry by a sharp knocking at the door, “I’ll open it.” 

Anything to avoid another of Shiro’s brotherly speeches, or worse, more laughing at Keith’s expense. 

Keith was not sure who he was expecting, but it definitely was not Lance. Who, of course, it was. Leaning casually against the doorway, one hand behind his back. 

“Hello.” Keith blurted out, standing awkwardly in the doorway. Should he be leaning as well? 

“Hello,” Lance flashed Keith his best smile, “I got your lovely flowers. I do hope you picked them for the message, or otherwise, this visit might not go the way I hope.” 

Keith laughed softly, “It is good then, that I did, in fact, pick them for the message.”

Lance smiled again, “Very good. Here you go then,” he pulled a bouquet out from behind his back and handed it over to Keith. 

Keith feels the blush rising in his cheeks but it’s not nearly as bad as it was at the markets, “Thank you. What do they mean?”

Lance shook his head, “Based on your gift, I am sure you will be able to figure that out yourself. They are called Ambrosia.”

Keith smiled, “Okay.”

“However,” Lance continued, “I am also sure that I am far more knowledgeable and entertaining than whatever book you are gaining your information from, so I feel obliged to invite you to a personal tour of my greenhouse. Purely for learning purposes, of course.” Lance winked.

“Of course.” 

“Wonderful,” Lance stopped leaning and stood up properly, “Then I shall see you tomorrow at ten. I would give you my address, but it appears you have already found it in order to buy me my own flowers.”  
Keith really was blushing now, but before he could figure out a reply, Lance was gone, down the steps and striding off down the busy London street. 

Keith closed the door and quickly grabbed the cheap floriography book he had bought, flicking through to Ambrosia. Keith could not help the joyful laugh that came from deep in his chest.

_Ambrosia for love is reciprocated._

Shiro sighed, “If you two keep this up we are going to run out of room for flowers in the house.”


	3. Daisies for Innocence and Loyal Love

Lance had not been joking when he said the tour around the greenhouse would be educational.  
“Purely for learning purposes,” Lance had said. Keith had been expecting to learn about a couple of flowers, and then they would go off and do something else. He was not sure what else, in particular, they would do but Lance had winked at him and Keith was quite sure a wink did not indicate this. 

Lance finished his speech on the meaning of Acanthus being art, and all the different ways that it could be interpreted, and led Keith to the next section of the greenhouse.

“So what type of flowers are these?” Keith asked, even though he was being overwhelmed by the vast amount of information Lance had told him already. 

Lance’s face lit up, “These are Carnations. One of my favourite type of flowers, because there are so many different colours and therefore different meanings. There is even a meaning for Carnations in general, they mean fascination, distinction, and love.”

Keith loved how passionate Lance was about the flowers meanings, and was drawn to the way his face lit up while talking. Keith wanted Lance to keep talking just to see him look that happy.

“These pink ones mean a women’s or mother’s love, these mauve ones mean dreams of fantasy,” Lance rambled on, pointing out each flower as he went along, “red means deep romantic love and passion, and white has a lot of different meanings; sweet, lovely, innocence, pure love, faithfulness.”

“What about that one?” Keith asked after Lance had trailed off, pointing to a carnation with a striped pattern.

Lance shook his head, “Never mind that one, it is far sadder and need not influence this happy day of ours!”

Grinning once again, Lance grabbed Keith’s hand and led him out of the greenhouse and into the manor’s garden. Lance looked around to make sure no one could see them and then led Keith around the side of the manor and to the back of the estate.

“Where are we going?” Keith asked curiously, elated that Lance was still holding his hand. 

“Not very far,” Lance answered, pulling him along, “Not all of this land belongs to Grandfather’s estate but a lot of it does, and the areas that do not are public property but hardly anyone ever visits here. Leaving it all to us!”

Lance waved the hand that was not holding Keith’s towards the horizon, and Keith looked out over the vast hills sprawling in every direction. 

“If we just go down this hill,” Lance led them down a slow slope until they were on flat terrain again, the manor high above them in the distance, “then we have some privacy.”

Lance gave Keith a beautiful sweet smile, so different to his usual grin, and plopped down onto the bright green grass. Keith laughed at Lance’s sudden disregard for gentlemanly behaviour. He had not noticed the way that Lance always held himself with pride and formality until he let it all go. Keith sat down on the grass next to Lance and took his time taking in the way Lance suddenly seemed at ease. His eyes were shut and his face was turned up towards the sky, his lips turned up in a soft smile. Keith could see Lance’s freckles better in the sunlight, and he longed to brush his fingers along them. He was slumped into the grass, his arms resting on his knees, all traces of his good posture gone. Lance was always wearing a mask, Keith realised. Always acting the way he knew other people wanted him to, the way that was expected of him. Even when flirting with a boy, his positioning had been strong, fake arrogance radiating from that gorgeous grin of his. Everything Lance needed to protect himself, or at least to stop others from knowing their true effect on him. The contrast was startling against the tranquil young man next to Keith, completely honest and one with himself and his surroundings. 

“You said this estate is your grandfather’s?” Keith asked before Lance opened his eyes and noticed Keith staring.

A look of sorrow passed over Lance’s face and Keith instantly wished to take his words back, to say something else or be caught staring. Anything to keep the content look on Lance’s face.  
But the look of sorrow fades, replaced with a sad smile, “It was. He passed away two months ago and my parents inherited it.” 

“Oh,” Keith said, unsure of what to say. Social situations had never been his strong point.  
“He was wonderful, my Grandfather,” Lance said, smiling, “So full of life and love. Some of my best memories are here. I miss him.”

“It is lovely that you had such a good relationship,” Keith said, “I have never been close with my family. Apart from Shiro, of course.”

“Shiro is your brother?” Lance asked curiously.

“Yes,” Keith nodded, “In part. He is the child of my father and his first wife, after she passed away he married my mother. My family is not as rich and well known as yours, but it is still part of high society. My parents only married because it was expected of them. Shiro and I could not stand the stuffiness of it all and moved out into the London house you visited.”

Lance nodded in understanding, “The expectations for upper-class families get to me all the time, but at least my parents love each other. It is better than most others.”

It’s true. Marriage for love would be taken as a hilarious joke in Keith’s family. 

The two of them sat in companionable silence for a while before Keith spoke up again, “This place would be perfect for a picnic.”

Lance gasped dramatically, “How very true! I thought I was doing quite well but you have already pointed out a far better plan for courting.”

“Oh, so this is you courting me then?” Keith smirked.

Lance flushed, “Only if you want it to be.”

Keith leaned in until he could see the freckles speckled across Lance’s nose and feel Lance’s breath across his lips, “I do.”

“Good,” Lance breathed out and closed the distance between them.

It was the first time Keith had ever kissed anyone, and it was wonderful. Lance’s lips were so soft, and Keith could taste something sweet. An overwhelming feeling of contentment and joy filled Keith and he laughed softly into Lance’s mouth. Lance pulled away, a goofy smile on his face, “What is it?”

Keith just shook his head, “This is nice, is all.”

Lance pulled him in for another kiss, moving his lips slowly and sweetly over Keith’s. The whole feeling blended with the beautiful atmosphere of the rolling hills, and in that moment Keith could not remember ever feeling happier.  
When they both pulled away for breath, Lance had a glint in his eye and he turned away from Keith to start picking things out of the ground.

“What are you doing?” Keith asked, shuffling around to where Lance was facing. 

“Making you a flower crown,” Lance grinned at him, “I need some courtship activity to make up for the lack of picnic.”

Keith had been quite happy with the kissing activity, but he did not say anything, too fascinated with the gentle and well-practised way Lance was winding the small white flowers together. 

“Daisies?”

Lance nodded, “They are weeds, but pretty all the same.”

He finished tying in the last flower, making a beautiful circle of small white flowers. 

Keith was amazed at how quickly Lance finished, “Do you make these often?”

Lance shook his head, “I made them frequently with my grandfather when I was a lot younger. I have not made one in years, but it seems I still remember the technique.”

Keith was oddly flattered that Lance decided to make him something that had been special between him and his grandfather. 

“Here,” Lance smiled at Keith and placed the crown in his hair, “Something to adorn that messy hair of yours.”

Keith laughed, “So what do they mean?”

“Innocence and loyal love,” Lance answered, pulling Keith in for another kiss.


	4. Hibiscus’ for Rare and Delicate Beauty

A picnic really had been a good idea. Lance had been impressed with Keith for thinking of it and annoyed at himself for not. Lance had recruited Hunk to help him make a picnic for the next time he saw Keith, under the pretence of wanting to take on Keith’s advice. Truthfully, Lance felt like he had to make up for his first terrible attempt at courting and he planned to do that through a picnic in the greenhouse. Not that it had been completely terrible. The second half had been wonderful, at least in Lance’s opinion. However, Lance was also painfully aware that for the first half of their time together he had simply led Keith around and sprouted flower facts at him. How dreadfully unromantic of someone who prided himself on romance being one of his greatest talents. Keith had seemed interested at the time, but looking back on it Lance realised he had given the plants more attention than the boy he was trying to romance. Not to mention, there was a big difference between being interested in a learning sense and interested in a romantic sense. If Keith had been interested at all, which Lance was beginning to doubt. No, a repeat of that simply would not do. 

“Is this everything?” Lance turned to Hunk.

Hunk nodded, closing the lid of the basket, “Everything one needs for a romantic picnic, courtesy of Hunk.”

Lance grinned, “Why thank you, brilliant chef friend of mine.”

Hunk gave an exaggerated bow as Lance grabbed the picnic basket and hurried out of the kitchen, through the manor’s winding corridors and into the garden. Lance’s heart clenched as he realised he had to look inconspicuous walking down to the greenhouse. Their first date a couple of days ago had not raised any suspicions as Lance had told his family that he was showing a new friend around the greenhouse. However, picnics were only used for family gatherings, parties, and as a form of courtship. Since Lance was clearly not having a family gathering, and he hardly had enough friends or organisational skills to organise a party, the picnic basket he was carrying was distinctly romantic. It would be bad enough putting up with their torrent of questions, let alone the possibility of someone intruding on them in the greenhouse. With a deep sigh, Lance slowed down to a casual walk as if he was simply bringing supplies down to the greenhouse.

Keith was already there when Lance arrived, standing awkwardly in the greenhouse as if he felt he was intruding on the secret business of the flowers. Lance’s mood instantly lifted at the sight of Keith, and all his insecurities from the walk down were pushed aside.

“You do not need to look so intimidated by the flowers, I promise they are not poisonous. Well most of them are not,” Lance joked, leading Keith further into the greenhouse.

Keith gave him a small smile and helped him unpack the picnic basket, “I am glad to see you listen to suggestions.”

Lance grinned, “Only your suggestions. I ignore all of Hunk’s advice, and trust me he has a lot of it.”

“Hunk?” Keith tilted his head curiously, and Lance thinks it makes him look so much younger.

Lance nodded, laying out the plates of food on the greenhouse floor around them, “He is my best friend. He helped make this picnic for us actually, and by helped, I mean made all of it while I sat and offered moral advice. I am a terrible cook,” Lance grinned. 

“Did he know the picnic was for…,” Keith trailed off, unsure how to ask without intruding.

“My attempts at courting?” Lance nodded, “I have never been very good at keeping secrets from him, and there was no need to. I had already told him about you after we met at Covent Garden.” Lance felt a flush rise up his neck as he realised what he had said. 

Keith did not seem to notice, his eyebrows raised in a silent question. 

“Ah,” Lance said, clueing into what Keith was asking, “Yes. Hunk is the only person who I have confided in about my attraction to men. Well, my attraction to women as well but that seems to be automatically assumed by most already.”

Keith smiled but there was a sadness to it, “Shiro was the only person I confided in about it, but my parents still managed to find out. It is part of the reason we both left.”

Lance’s smile dropped off his face, “Oh, I am so sorry.”

Keith shook his head, “Do not be. It was our choice, they were quite happy to ignore it as long  
as I acted the part they wanted me to. Shiro and I could not stay in a place that thrived on lies.”

Lance nodded slowly, “That makes sense.”

There was a slow beat of silence before Lance reverted back to his bubbly persona, “This was supposed to be happy! I am supposed to seduce you with food that I did not make and give you flowers that my brother looks after, and drone on about flower meanings that you pretend to be interested in.”

Keith objected, but he was laughing, “I am interested!”

Lance shook his head, “Maybe a little, but no one is romanced by me droning on about carnations.”

Keith smiled, leaning in closer to Lance, “I am not so sure about that. I am here again, am I not?”

Lance smiled, “Are you sure that has nothing to do with the last part of our time together?”

Keith leaned in so his breath fanned out over Lance’s lips as he spoke, “I did quite like that part, but it was not the only reason I enjoyed it.”

“No?” Lance breathed out.

Keith slowly shook his head, pulling back so he could look Lance in the eyes, “Your eyes light up when you talk about flowers and their meanings. I can see how passionate you are about them and it is captivating.”  
Keith touched his hand to Lance’s cheek and was getting the courage to lean in when Lance suddenly leaped to his feet. Keith startled and jumped back, almost landing on a plate of Hunk’s delicious food. 

“Well then,” Lance spread his arms out in a grand gesture, “I shall continue to drone on about flowers meanings!” Keeping to his word, Lance immediately started talking about the flowers closest to him.

Keith fell onto his back on the greenhouse floor, careful not to land in any of the dishes of food, a deep happy laugh rising from his chest. 

~~~

Keith had tried to pay attention to the flower meanings, honestly, he had, but Lance was just far too distracting. Keith tried to listen to the words he was saying but became far more enamoured with the tone of his voice. He tried looking at the flowers being mentioned and ended up captivated by Lance’s hands as he waved them around excitedly. Everywhere Keith looked all led back to Lance; the way his eyes shone like an ocean reflecting the sun, the way his lips curved as he spoke, the way he could not stay still as if unable to contain his energy and excitement. He had brought some parchment and a pen and inkwell along, so he could take notes for future flowers to give Lance, but it became clear very quickly that Keith was not taking in enough information to take notes. Still, taking notes was the excuse he gave Lance when he took the parchment and equipment out of his pockets, instead deciding to draw the beautiful boy in front of him. Time drifted by, Keith content eating the delicious picnic food and drawing, before being pulled out of his revery by a couple of flower meanings Lance had just explained. Keith carefully folded his parchment up and put it in his pocket. He could not fathom how embarrassed he would be if Lance found out that Keith had been drawing him this whole time. 

Keith quickly walked over to where Lance was standing, picking one of the flowers Lance had just been talking about. Spinning the stem in his fingers Keith asked, “What did you say this one meant?”

Lance looked surprised, staring at the flower in Keith’s fingers, “That’s an orchid. It means refined beauty.”

Keith nodded and pointed to the one next to it, “And this one?”

“Hibiscus,” Lance breathed out as Keith stepped closer to him, “R-rare and delicate beauty.”

Keith picked a hibiscus as well, and smiled up at Lance, tucking both of the flowers behind Lance’s ear, “So they both mean you, then.”

Instantly, Keith questioned everything he had just done and was debating whether to pretend to faint to save himself from the embarrassment of dealing with this, when he notices that… Lance was blushing? And not the faint pink flush that Keith had seen occasionally over the past week. Lance’s face was bright red, and he kept opening and closing his mouth as if he wanted to say something but had no idea what. 

Somehow this gave Keith the boost of courage he needed. He grabbed Lance by his suspenders and pulled him down, kissing him squarely on the mouth.


	5. Yellow Tulips for Hopeless Love

Lance’s day had been going pretty well. His stall at Covent Garden had a good amount of customers, a steady stream of people walking past deciding to stop and buy some flowers. One of his most frequent customers and friend, Pidge, had stopped by and they had a nice conversation while Lance took a break. Lance did not know Pidge all that well, she kept a lot to herself, but Lance did not push her for information. He understood having secrets. They had met at Lance’s flower stall, having instantly gotten along as if they had known each other for years. Pidge liked to joke that the universe had bonded them somehow, like a type of friendship soulmate. It was after Lance’s break ended with Pidge leaving to buy a pastry, promising to come back later, that Lance’s day stopped going well. 

Zarkon was the cause of this, of course. Lance really should not have been surprised. Zarkon had been a nuisance customer as long as Lance could remember, but usually, Lance had been able to easily smooth things over with his fake charm. But all of Zarkon’s past complaints had been regarding Lance’s flowers or his prices. It was never personal. Not until today, when he had stridden up to Lance’s stall with an angry glint in his eye and a sharp smirk on his face. Lance instantly had an uneasy feeling in his stomach, but had done his best to smile and ask his usual customer greeting, “Good afternoon, may I interest you in any flowers?” 

The sharp smile on Zarkon’s face turned positively wicked, “No, no, I am actually here to talk about some certain interests of _yours._ ” 

Lance’s stomach twisted and he felt sick, “Oh, would you like me to recommend some flowers to you?”

Zarkon started to look impatient. Lance could tell that he wanted something dramatic to happen, and the glint in his eye screamed hate. That look made Lance nervous. 

He shook his head very slowly, keeping his gaze fixed on Lance the entire time, “I am not talking about flowers. Something more along the lines of people… romantic interests, perhaps?”  
The sinking feeling in Lance’s chest told him that he knew exactly what Zarkon was referring to, but he masked his face with a confused expression and tilted his head, “I am afraid I cannot help you on that front. Although flowers are often used as romantic gifts, I only sell them, and cannot offer any romantic advice. I know a wonderful matchmaker just down the road-”  
Lance was cut off by Zarkon leaning close and snarling into Lance’s face, “Why would I go to anyone _you_ recommend for romantic advice? For all I know, they will probably set me up with a _man._ ”

Lance tried to maintain his composure, but the way he jerked his head back and spoke as if the words were racing out of his mouth, tumbling over each other in the process, gave away just how fragile he was really feeling, “I-I beg your pardon?”

Zarkon only leaned further over the stall table, knocking some flowers off in the process, and hissed, “Oh yes, I saw you giving flowers to that boy the other day. Heard what you told him too.” 

Lance felt frozen to spot, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. 

Just when Lance thought Zarkon was going to completely climb over the table, a stranger came to his rescue. Sidling up to the stall, a middle-aged man gave Lance a kind smile and gave Zarkon a hard slap on the back. Zarkon flinched and turned his glare on the stranger.  
The man seemed completely unaffected and looked right into his angry eyes as he spoke, “Now, come along sir, I can see you have had a bad day. I can understand that. Sometimes anger takes over even the best of us! But that is no reason to take it out on this nice young gentleman.”

Zarkon looked as if he was going to protest this, but the man just continued on as if they were all friends having a pleasant discussion over tea, “You are very lucky that this kind fellow has not yet insisted on you cleaning up this mess you have made. Probably all those upper-class manners.”

The anger in Zarkon’s eyes flickered as an anxious expression came over his face, “Upper-class?”

Lance cleared his throat and put on his fake charming voice, following this kind strangers lead, “Why yes. These flowers are grown on my family estate, not too far from here on the edge of London. The tradition of gardening has been passed down through the McClain family for generations.”

The anxious look on Zarkon’s face slowly turned into mild fear as he realised just how powerful of an influence Lance had. Lance could almost see the thoughts whirring behind his eyes as he realised he might have insulted the wrong person, started a fight he had no chance of winning. The contrast was startling in comparison to the anger present mere moments before. Lance did not like this look of anxious fear any better than the hateful anger. 

Straightening up, Zarkon shook off the man’s hand on his shoulder and muttered out, _“My apologies”_ before striding off.  
Lance physically felt himself relax, overcome with relief. He turned to the man in gratitude, “Thank you for your assistance. It is very much appreciated. I do not want to think what might have happened had you not intervened.”

The kind stranger smiled at him, and Lance felt he might have an ally in this world after all.  
Then the man said in his soft, kind voice, “I just could not let someone make such awful accusations to a lovely young man such as yourself. Some people get funny ideas about men and flowers as if gardening is not a valid career or passion! Besides, I already knew what he was saying was untrue, I have seen all those lovely ladies you have given flowers to in the past. He simply had no reason to be so awful to you.”

Lance felt the sadness creep back in over his relief, and this time his smile was more strained, “Well it was very kind of you to assist me. Thank you once again. Please take some flowers as a gift of my gratitude.”

The man chuckled, “Just as I said. Lovely upper-class manners! Well, thank you very much. I think I will take some roses, my wife loves them.”

Lance nodded and silently passed over a bouquet of red and white roses with a small smile. The man grinned back and slowly made his way back into the crowd. 

~~~

Lance was on the ground, cleaning up the mess Zarkon had made when Keith arrived. He was feeling absolutely miserable, and for the first time since they had met, seeing Keith only served to make Lance feel worse. The scene from earlier kept replaying in his mind, and honestly, the part that hurt the most was not even how Zarkon had acted. It was the kind old man, who had only helped Lance because he believed he was attracted to women exclusively. Who defended him because he believed Lance was being accused of something horrible and untrue. It just served to remind Lance that the world was at odds with him, and it was not only violent, hateful men who hated this part of him but also kind, helpful ones. When he saw Keith, all he could think was that Keith was the only person he could confide all of this in, and know that he would understand. But Keith was also the reason that Zarkon had started this mess, and that made something twist painfully in Lance when he looked at him. It was not Keith’s fault. Not really. Logically, Lance knew this. But that did not make looking at him any easier or less painful. “Why are you here?” Lance asked miserably, putting one of the knocked-off bouquets back onto the table. 

“I was coming to visit you,” Keith replies but he is distracted by the mess on the floor, “What happened?”

Keith is already kneeling down to help Lance clean up the mess, and purely because Lance knows it will make him feel worse, he recounts the events from earlier. His usual lighthearted tone is gone, and he does not even attempt to add an element of humour. 

That is the part that clues Keith in on how miserable Lance truly is. 

“Lance, I am truly so sorry. I wish I had been here, maybe I could have done something,” Keith looks as if he wants to hug him.

Lance abruptly stands up, and disposes of the ruined flowers with his pile of cut leaves and stems and other garden waste, “No. You being here would have only made things worse.”  
Lance knows his voice is sharp, and he knows that he is being unnecessarily cruel to Keith but that tiny part of him is still twisting painfully and he just cannot stop himself, “I suppose it was a good reminder of the expectations placed upon an upper-class boy such as myself.”

Keith looks taken aback, “Lance. I know this is awful, but you will be okay, _we_ will be-”

Lance cuts him off with the same sharp, miserable tone, “I suppose you were here to ask me about flowers?” 

Before Keith can even reply, Lance is tottering around the messy stall putting together a bouquet.

Lance finishes putting all the flowers together and ties them up with a yellow ribbon to match the flowers.

“Here,” He shoves them at Keith and without waiting for Keith to say anything he starts talking very quickly. Maybe he is talking to stop Keith from saying anything. “They are Yellow Tulips, and they mean hopeless love. Just like ours, I suppose. Oh, and I paired them with some Acacia because they mean secret love. And as our love is destined to be forever a secret, and that is also the cause of the hopelessness, ... I thought it was rather clever.”

His voice starts out clear and sharp, perfectly factual as if explaining to a customer how the flowers are grown. His voice slowly trails off into a miserable soft whisper as Lance takes in Keith’s face. He had taken the flowers from Lance as soon as Lance handed them to him, but the longer Lance talked, the more devastated Keith began to look. 

And as Lance finished talking, staring at Keith in silence and starting to regret what he had said, Keith backed away slowly. Lance noticed tears in his eyes and watched as one trailed down his cheek. And as if he had never been there at all, Keith disappeared into the crowd. 

_Hopeless._ Just as Lance had said. Lance tells himself that this just proves that he was right and that society had been set up so that things would never work between them. But as Lance notices Pidge staring at him with a sad and disapproving look, Lance knows that it was not society nor Zarkon nor the middle-aged man who had just ruined things between him and Keith. It was Lance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The combination of red and white roses that Lance gives the man at his stall represents united or union; Lance chooses them because the man mentions his wife/marriage


	6. Striped Carnations for “I cannot be with you”

Keith was heartbroken. Shiro had noticed and had taken to pointing it out every chance he got as if pointing out his misery would somehow convince Keith to confide in him about it. Sometimes Keith thought that Shiro was more socially inept than himself. 

“How is that case of heartbreak going?” Shiro asks as he clanks Keith’s cup of tea down in front of him, startling Keith from staring blankly at the wall. 

Keith does not say anything. He has not actually given any indication that Shiro is right in his guess about heartbreak, but he supposes it is written all over his face. 

Still, Shiro’s ability to be able to read other people’s emotions and still be socially inept is irritating, and Keith glares at him while taking a sip of the tea. It’s hot and burns his mouth, but it feels less painful than the aching in his chest. Keith winces. No wonder Shiro can read the heartbreak on his face. 

Shiro sits down across from Keith with his own cup of tea, not looking very impressed, “If that was supposed to be a glare, then this is worse than I thought. That look had more misery than anger, and you have never been short on anger.”

Keith feels his shoulders slump forward and he lets out a deep sigh. 

Shiro looks rather concerned now, and it occurs to Keith that as much as Shiro has been pointing it out, he might not have actually believed it was true. Keith supposed it was not much surprise that Shiro was struggling to equate the angry boy who had stormed out of the family manor in a fit of anger, to this depressed heartbroken boy in front of him. 

Shiro sighs, “Definitely worse than I thought. You always do seem to have to feel emotions as ultimate as possible. Nothing or everything. This is new though.”

Shiro had a point. Keith had never been heartbroken before. He had never been in love before. Part of him wished he still had not, but the other part ached miserably at the idea of having never met Lance. Never kissed him. Never fallen in love with him. 

Keith was still in love with Lance. But he was also angry with him and hurt. 

He could not decide whether he wanted to talk to him or not. Either way, Keith knew he would not be able to ignore him completely. 

He had to do something. 

~~~

Keith had done something. 

It was really not what he had planned to do, but Keith had never really had a plan anyway. It took him completely by surprise but it had also seemed like the only solution available. Completely shocking but completing obvious. Shiro had been right about Keith’s emotions.  
Keith had broken up with Lance. 

He knew that whatever he did had to involve flowers. The yellow tulips were still sitting on the desk in his room, tormenting him. He knew he should have gotten rid of them. Part of him, that deeply angry part of him that never really went away but he had gotten good at ignoring, longed to throw them out or to stamp on them. To go back in time and instead of running off with them, to have thrown them in Lance’s face and sworn at him. To be angry instead of depressed.  
However, Keith had still been more upset than anything else and had decided to make Lance a bouquet in return. He had not been sure what it would say. Perhaps an apology, although Keith did not think he had anything to apologise for. Perhaps a request to meet up and talk?

He had flicked through his book of flower meanings, looking for anything that would make sense, when something caught his eye. A deep wave of pain rocked through him as a memory from their first date rose to the surface. 

Lance had been talking about Carnations. Keith had been distractedly staring at Lance, but it seemed he had remembered more than he expected.

All of the Carnations had been about love or at least meant something happy. Keith had only been half listening, but he wanted to be an attentive audience so he had asked about the Striped Carnations. The ones that Lance had not explained yet. 

Lance had replied, _“Never mind that one, it is far sadder and need not influence this happy day of ours!”_

Keith had not thought anything of it at the time, quickly moving on and forgetting anything about it. 

Except, Keith looked down at his floriography book and there it was. 

_Striped Carnation for “I cannot be with you”, no, refusal._  
Lance was right. It had been far too sad for that happy day of theirs. But Keith thought it fit rather perfectly today. 

Keith went back to the same flower shop he had bought his floriography book from. They had nowhere near the same variety as Lance or the knowledge of meanings, but luckily they had both the types of flowers that Keith wanted. He had decided to add some Marigolds for the meanings of pain and grief. Lance always included two types of flowers in his bouquets and Keith was feeling bitter. Another way to make a point of how Lance had made him feel. The shop owner told Keith how beautiful the flowers he had chosen were and asked if they were a gift. Keith smiled and said that yes, he supposed they were. Just knowing how obvious the sad meanings would be to Lance made that knot in his chest pull even tighter.

And then he had paid for them to be delivered. No note. 

Keith was too much of a coward to deliver them in person, for fear of losing his nerve or having Lance change his mind. And there was no way he was delivering a break up through Lance’s brother. It had been awkward enough as a declaration of affection. So anonymous flower business delivery it was. 

Keith had done something, but he felt exactly as miserable as beforehand. If not worse. 

~~~

It had been a couple of weeks since Keith sent Lance the breakup flowers. He had not yet received a response. He doubted that he would. At first, he wondered if Lance had even received the flowers, but deep down he knew that he had. 

Not getting a reply hurt more than Keith expected. It seemed to tell Keith that even if he was still in love with him, Lance did not care enough to even reply. 

Because he was still in love with Lance. Keith had known that when he broke up with him, and he still knew it now. Nothing had changed. 

Still, Keith did not regret sending Lance the flowers. Being in love with someone was not a good enough reason for letting them hurt you. Especially when they did not seem to want to be with you. Lance was probably off romancing someone else by now, most likely a lady to avoid the fear of societies expectations. Maybe not. Maybe Lance was flirting with another boy. Maybe it had not been about upper-class expectations at all. Maybe it had been about Keith all along.  
Keith knew he was falling into a depressing spiral of self-pity and self-deprecation, but he could not be bothered to do anything to stop it. And as Keith walked through Covent Garden, hoping to maybe just catch a glimpse of him, Keith knew he would not be able to leave the spiral even if he wanted to. 

Because in the place where Lance’s flower stall used to be was a sign reading, _Market Stall space for Sale._

Apparently, Lance had replied after all.


	7. Snowdrops for Hope

Lance was in his room moping, as he had been for the past week when his brother Edgar walked in. Lance hastily tried to wipe his face and put on a happy expression, but he just ended up wincing as if he were staring into the sun. Not that anything about Edgar’s expression was radiant as he walked purposefully over to Lance and sat down on the bed next to him. He was giving Lance that stern, older brother look, and Lance mentally ran through what he might have done to earn it but he was drawing a blank. 

“Were you planning on telling me that you had put your flower stall up for sale?”

Ah. 

“No,” Lance answered truthfully, hoping that Ed would simply leave and not demand an explanation.

Edgar did not say anything, but the stern look on his face did not waver. 

“I do not suppose that it has anything to do with why you have decided to hibernate in your bedchambers and mope?”

Lance tried once more to mask his face with a happy expression, and once more failed. It took him by shock, how his mastered charade of fake charm could fall apart so easily and completely. 

Lance settled on keeping his voice blank and monotone, “It was simply becoming a bore and a chore, and I wished for more time to myself.”

Edgar nodded in understanding, and for a foolish moment, Lance thought that his explanation had been accepted and his brother would leave. “More time to yourself to mope, you mean.” Edgar clarified.

Lance slumped his shoulders and let his face fall into his hands. There was no point in trying to convince Edgar out of believing a fact that was so painfully clear.

Edgar gave a sharp, satisfied nod, “As I thought.”

Lance sighed and let his hands fall from his face. He resigned himself to being questioned on the source of his misery. 

“What happened between you and your beloved?” Edgar asked, both inquisitive and concerned in that way Edgar often was. 

Lance’s head jerked back as if attempting to detach itself from his neck, “What!?” His voice was shocked, laced with anxiety. 

Edgar raised one slender eyebrow, but looked otherwise unfazed by Lance’s reaction, “Keith? Awful hair, nice smile, totally in love with you?”

Lance had gone completely silent, his mind whirring, trying to comprehend this impossible situation. 

Edgar was still talking, “I am assuming that he is the cause of how you are acting. You two are courting, yes? This will be quite embarrassing if I have assumed you return his affections, and you do not…” Edgar trailed off as he looked back over to his brother and saw the tears streaming down his face. Ed’s expression morphed into one of complete concern and sympathy, and he wrapped his brother in a tight hug. 

Lance clung to his brother as the sobs racked through him, “I-It, it is… me. My fault,” Lance took a shuddering breath, “All my fault, Ed. All mine.”

“It’s okay Lance,” Ed whispered into his younger brother’s hair, “You will be okay. Just tell me what happened. I’m sure we can fix this.”

This just set Lance off into an even longer bout of sobbing, clinging to Edgar the entire time as if he were a lifeboat in the storm that was Lance’s emotions. 

After Lance’s tears dried up, he slowly extracted himself from Edgar’s tight embrace, wiping his cheeks and clearing his throat.

“Thanks,” he murmured, staring at his bare feet.

Edgar just smiled softly.

“I,” Lance began and then stopped as if he did not know what to say, “There was a customer at my stall. He knew about Keith and me somehow.”

Lance stopped again. His brother obviously already knew about their relationship. Obviously already knew about his attraction to men. That did not stop Lance from feeling as if he was exposing a deeply hidden part of himself though. He could not stop feeling that he was setting himself up for rejection. 

“He said some awful things. Not that that bit matters anymore. Another man came over and got him to leave,” Lance felt his throat close up and he choked off, before forcing the words out, “Only because he thought what the things the first man said were untrue,” Lance swallowed, “They were not.”

Edgar squeezed Lance’s shoulder in solidarity, and Lance pushed on, “I was in a right awful state when Keith arrived. I said some terrible depressing things to him. I thought, I thought that they were true. But he did not deserve to hear them.”

Edgar gave him a small sad smile but did not say anything. Waiting for Lance to continue. 

Lance simply pointed to the vase of flowers sitting by his window, “They arrived two weeks ago. A few days after the awful incident at the market.”

Edgar, being an avid gardener himself, could easily have been able to tell the age of the flowers from the wilting or dried up petals. He refrained from pointing this out, instead stating another obvious fact, “From Keith.”

Lance nods.

Ed stands up and wanders over to the window, looking down at the flowers.

“They are the ending of our relationship. He ended it with me.” Lance explains miserably.

He suddenly realises that this must make no sense to Edgar as there is no note with them, and a gift of flowers after a fight would usually be interpreted as an apology or forgiveness. 

“We have been talking through flower meanings,” Lance begins but Edgar waves a hand at him as if to cut him off.

“I know,” Ed looks up from the flowers and over at Lance, “That is how I figured out that you were courting.”

Lance was startled with the memory of Edgar standing confusedly in the foyer with the first bouquet Keith had sent him. He felt guilty. For forgetting that Keith had delivered flowers through Ed at all, and that he had been intertwined in their relationship this entire time, but also for severely underestimating his brother’s knowledge of flower meanings. Lance had always felt that the meanings were his thing and that tending to the flowers themselves was his brother’s. The linguistic and theoretical side was Lance’s, and the physical and practical side was Edgar’s. It really should not have been such a surprise that his brother was also aware of at least some flower meanings. Lance surely talked about them enough for anyone to pick up on some, and his brother was constantly surrounded by greenery. 

Edgar continued, “Some of those flowers simply did not match up very well, and I knew you were not _that_ bad at flower arranging, so I figured that they must have been meanings.” 

Edgar was grinning mischievously, and Lance laughed knowing that Edgar’s sly insult was an effort to cheer him up. It did. Until he remembered what they were talking about, and Lance’s face fell once more. 

“I do not know what to do, Edgar,” Lance whispered into the large room, staring down at his feet again. Refusing to meet Edgar’s eyes. 

“Is it not obvious?” The genuine confusion in Ed’s voice forces Lance to look up into his brother’s face.

Edgar gives Lance a kind, rueful smile, “Communicate the only way you two boys seem capable of. Send him a bouquet.”

~~~

Lance wrote Keith a letter. In part, this was to spite Edgar and prove that he was in fact, actually capable of communicating in methods that did not include flowers. Mostly though, Lance just genuinely thought that Keith deserved a more sincere apology than flowers. Even with flower meanings, there was just no way to completely convey everything Lance was feeling. Sending messages through flowers still felt special though, so Lance was still giving Keith a bouquet. This time it would just have a note attached. He had momentarily considered reading Keith his apology speech while delivering the flowers until Lance’s fear of rejection kicked in and the thought evaporated. He told himself it would just be far too weird to deliver the flowers and note without reading the note out loud, and decided to get Edgar to deliver them for him. He told himself that seeing Lance at the door was likely to scare Keith away, causing him to slam the door in Lance’s face before Lance could even hand over the bouquet. Deep down, Lance knew he was just afraid of looking into Keith’s eyes and seeing anger or misery staring back at him. He picked out the flowers from the greenhouse and put them together in a bouquet. Snowdrops for hope, and Rue for regret. 

He attached the folded up note and handed the finished product to Edgar who had been waiting at the door. Lance knew he was taking the cowardly option, making Ed deliver them for him. He knew that Keith rejecting him was still likely even if he was not the one there to hear the rejection. Possibly even more likely, if Keith thought that Lance could not even be bothered to deliver an apology himself. He knew, watching Edgar walk out of the greenhouse, that the anxious feeling in his stomach would not go away until his brother returned. He knew that even then, the anxiety was likely to just return back to misery. But still, amongst the tangle of nerves, Lance felt a flutter of hope.


	8. Agrimony for Thankfulness

Keith had thought it felt symbolic. Like his relationship had come around in a full circle, and somehow this would make everything okay between them again. Keith had delivered a bouquet to Lance through Edgar, and Lance had returned one in person. Now Lance had delivered a bouquet to Keith through Edgar, clearly meaning Keith needed to return one in person. It had seemed painfully obvious to Keith earlier. It was the first thing to occur to him. Well, after he had stopped being shocked that Lance had sent him flowers. And after he had looked up the meanings and felt a swell of hope. Oh, and after he noticed the note attached and recovered from the sobbing mess it had reduced him to. Still, it remained one of the first things that had occurred to him. It had seemed perfectly easy. Now the only thing that was occurring to Keith was how stupid he had been and how utterly terrifying this was. There was a reason Keith had not delivered that first bouquet in person. He was not good at social interactions at all, never mind big romantic gestures. However, Lance had poured his heart out in that vulnerable letter and Keith felt he owed him this much. It was at least, less terrifying than stumbling through a letter of his own. 

So here Keith was, walking up the long path to Lance’s manor house, shaking with nerves and having no idea where to go. He did not know where Lance was, had no clue which room in the house was his, and the idea of running into any of Lance’s family apart from Edgar filled him with a panic that momentarily distracted him from his terror. This had been an utterly foolish idea. Keith was tempted to turn around and pretend that this endeavour had never happened. Perhaps there was a way for him to get Lance to travel to Keith’s house, and then he could give Lance the speech he had been rehearsing in his head the entire trip here. Shifting the awkwardly shaped bouquet in his arms, Keith decided he was far too stubborn to admit defeat so easily and that if he waited any longer his speech would disappear and his rehearsing would be for nothing. Tilting his chin up defiantly, even though there was no one around to see, Keith marched over to the greenhouse. It was the most familiar area for Keith, and it seemed the most promising place to start. Perhaps if Lance was not there Keith could simply wait in there? Surely it would not be too long until Edgar or Lance went to look at their flowers, the way those two brothers were obsessed, and it seemed a far safer option than seeking the entrance to the manor house. Luck seemed to be on Keith’s side for once because he was saved from debating the most comfortable place to sit and wait amongst the flowers when he opened the greenhouse door to find Lance. Lance looked up from his spot on the floor, and spotting Keith, hastily made to stand up, hitting his head on the bench on the way. Rubbing his head, Lance shot Keith a sheepish smile and all of Keith’s terror and panic disappeared. Unfortunately, so did every single word of his well-rehearsed speech and he started to wonder if he should have taken notes. 

“I did not…,” Lance starts talking to fill the silence but cuts of just as quickly, glancing down to the floor, “I was not sure if you would even respond, let alone…” Lance waves an arm at Keith in the doorway. 

Keith flushes. He suddenly felt very self-conscious standing there, holding a bouquet and without saying a word. He was aware that he had been silent this entire time, but all forms of communication seemed impossible. The silence stretched on, Keith a noiseless phantom in the doorway, both boys staring at each other and waiting for the other to say something.

Lance cracks first, “Do you want to sit down? Or not, I have heard some people hit their heads on these benches. Very dangerous.”

Keith appreciates the attempt at humour, but he is acutely aware of the tremble in Lance’s voice. It occurs to him that Lance might not realise that he has forgiven him, even though he is here to see him and carrying a bouquet. Flowers were the way he broke up with him after all. Keith suddenly regrets that choice immensely and it brings him back to his senses. Looking at that anxious unsure expression on Lance’s face sparks a fire in Keith’s chest, and he just needs Lance to know how he feels. 

“I’m sorry,” Keith blurts into the chasm between them.

Lance takes a hesitant step backwards, and Keith cannot tell if it is to give Keith more space to enter, although he had plenty already, or if he thinks Keith is rejecting him yet again. What a great start to this conversation. 

“I forgive you,” Keith tries again, saying the words slowly and carefully so that his mouth cannot change its mind on him part way through, “I am sorry. It was a terribly rash decision to… to reject you when you were feeling so, so…, upset. I should have been there to support and comfort you and instead I…” Keith copies Lance’s previous gesture and waves a hand around in front of him. He is not quite sure how else to end that sentence, but Lance seems to interpret his flailing arm well enough, as his face melts into a soft, sympathetic smile. 

“I am sorry as well. I think your decision was perfectly reasonable and well deserved,” Keith tries to object this but Lance waves a dismissing hand at him, “I was upset, yes, but I should not have taken it out on you the way I did.”

Keith smiles and looks down at his feet, “I know. I read your letter. It was very impressive and emotional, and I had prepared a speech of my own but I seem to have forgotten all the words.”  
Lance gives a sudden genuine laugh, and Keith jerks his head up to meet his eyes. Lance looks happy again, and Keith feels as if he had been off balance this entire time and suddenly the world had aligned again. 

Keith holds out the bouquet to Lance, “Well then Mister Flower Expert, what do these mean?”  
Lance accepts the flowers with a grin and makes a big show of observing them. 

He doesn’t stop smiling but looks a little confused, “Agrimony, so thankfulness? I am sure that is right, but… what are you thankful for?”

He glances up then, and Keith’s cheeks go warm. He knows he had prepared an eloquent explanation for that very question, but the words are still evading him.

“You,” Keith blurts and his face goes hotter, “I mean, meeting you and everything that happened between us. Your letter. If you want us to… continue what we had before, then I am thankful for that, and if not… if not, then I am grateful for what we did have.” 

Perhaps he had not completely forgotten his speech after all.

Lance strides over to Keith, his long legs quickly bringing them face to face, and smiles at him. Keith smiles back, and Lance brings a hand up to cup Keith’s jaw, slowly bringing their faces together until their noses are touching. Keith can feel Lance’s breath on his lips and smiles softly before tilting his head and closing the distance between them. It's soft at first. Lips barely touching, brushing against each other, tentatively testing out the emotional ground between them. They quickly become surer of themselves and press harder, kissing deeper. Keith pours all his emotion into it, everything he did not manage to put into words, and he can tell Lance is doing the same. They kiss, and kiss, and kiss until they run out of air and pull apart to breathe. They rest their foreheads together and Keith can feel Lance’s soft, shallow gasps echoing against his skin. His pulse is thrumming fast in his chest, and as he slides a hand up Lance’s neck he can feel Lance’s doing the same. 

“I love you,” Keith whispers and immediately doubts himself. They had not even established where they were going from here, and Keith just starts with that? They had both said it before, but maybe things were different now. 

“I love you too,” Lance whispers back, and Keith feels as if they are in their own little world. The silence around them feels beautiful and fragile, and neither want to break it.


	9. Orange Lilies for Passion and Desire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look,, I have no idea how to write smut but there were far too many flower meanings about sex for me not to use them... so I present to you two boys being very oblivious and awkward about sex with a side of fluff

Keith still could not fathom how Lance’s bed could be so comfortable. Keith was curled up against Lance, a tangle of arms and legs that did not even begin to take up room on the royal sized mattress underneath them. Lance was babbling on about the quality of the cake they were eating, and while the cake really was very good and Keith was determined to meet this wonderful Hunk who had consistently provided them with food, he had other things on his mind. Namely, sex. He really had been trying to ignore these kinds of thoughts. It was not as if he knew much on the topic anyhow, but laying here on Lance’s amazingly comfortable bed with Lance’s voice a soft symphony in his ear, it was impossible to think of anything else. Keith had not been in a relationship before, and he had gotten quite comfortable with following Lance’s lead with their romantic endeavours. He had waited for Lance to bring this part of the relationship up… and continued waiting. Lance did not seem inclined to introduce this new sexual element to their relationship, and Keith could not help but wonder why. As much as Lance came off as a bolstering confident presence, Keith recognised his insecurities, but he had not taken this to be something that made Lance nervous or uncomfortable. This left Keith with the conclusion that it was something Lance was not interested in doing or something he was not interested in doing… with Keith. And while the thought made something inside him flinch with hurt, Keith knew that he loved Lance and would accept how he felt. Still, Keith wanted to know for sure. He just had no clue how to find out. 

~~~

Lance was tense. Not physically. He was well trained in keeping his posture straight and his muscles relaxed, maintaining an aura of ‘old money’ while still seeming easy going and approachable. Inside though. Inside, Lance was full of restless static that had nowhere to go and was only continuing to build up. Hunk had noticed. It was clear in the concerned looks he kept shooting Lance when he thought Lance would not see. Lance appreciated the concern but wished that Hunk would stop worrying. It was not as if he could talk about why he felt so antsy. He was extremely open with Hunk, but _that_ was a conversation they were never going to have. 

Hunk gave a small sigh and Lance raised an eyebrow at him and joked, “Surely I’m not that useless at helping in the kitchen?”

He had felt guilty at the amount Hunk had cooked for him lately, providing Lance with food on a whim, which was quite frequent with Lance in a constant state of ‘I-am-so-in-love-with-Keith-Kogane-this-is-insane-and-also-I-feel-like-cake’. So he had offered to help Hunk cook whatever Hunk felt like cooking, and Hunk had accepted with a look that said he knew it was a bad idea but he did not know how to say no. Lance had been offended at the time, but looking at the mess of fruit that he had failed to chop laid out in front of him, Lance felt Hunk’s look had been very accurate and fair. 

Expecting a quip about how useless Lance truly was, Hunk’s response took Lance by surprise, “Just talk to him, Lance.”

And then it took Lance by surprise again, because he knew Hunk was good at reading him but surely he was not _that good_. Lance desperately hoped Hunk was not that good. How tragically embarrassing. 

Preoccupied with these thoughts, Lance did not manage a response and just continued to gape at Hunk in shock.

Hunk simply rolled his eyes, “You clearly want to talk to Keith about something, but you are useless at communication and therefore are struggling.”

Lance very much wanted to dispute this claim on his communication skills, but since he was still yet to verbally respond to Hunk, he felt he had no ground from which to defend himself.  
“If I am so useless at communication, telling me to go talk to him is quite pointless advice, is it not, Hunk?” Lance had intended this to be a cheeky insult, but it instead sounded like he was admitting defeat. 

Hunk let out a low sigh and looked up at the chandelier as if it could somehow save him from having this conversation. “Give him flowers?”

Lance looked over at Hunk quickly, so surprised that he stopped his dutiful attempts to meet Hunk’s gaze, “Why?”

Hunk continued to stare at the chandelier as if in prayer, but whether he was wishing for it to drop on his head or grant him strength, Lance was not sure. “That seems to be the only way both of you can express your emotions. Besides, it will keep up your tradition and seem romantic.”

Lance quietly considered this and decided that this really was quite a good idea of Hunk’s. Hunk, misinterpreting Lance’s silence as not yet being convinced, continued talking, “I am not sure what it is you want to tell him,” at this, Hunk quickly glanced over at Lance and it was clear in his gaze that he knew _exactly_ what Lance wanted to talk to Keith about, “but I am sure you could find plenty of flowers to convey your message.”

Hunk’s gaze was trained on the chandelier once more, and Lance contemplated joining him in prayer. The tension in the room had only increased during their conversation, and Lance felt that a broken chandelier would make this situation far less stressful. 

Deciding that the chandelier had no interest in assisting either of them, Lance put down the knife he had been holding the entire time down on the bench and made a hasty retreat, “Very good idea, Hunk! Very practical and reasonable. Well thought out! Might take your advice,” Lance felt a flush continue up his neck as he quickly walked out of the kitchen, yelling over his shoulder, “Or not! Who could say? Certainly not Hunk because this is a conversation we are never having again.”

Hunk’s voice called from the kitchen, “Just be glad it was not Edgar!”

Lance groaned. Surely, his intentions could not be _that_ obvious. 

~~~

Lance’s intentions were not obvious at all. Or perhaps Keith was simply dense. Thinking about it further, it was likely the latter. Shiro had needed to explain plenty of supposedly obvious things to him throughout his lifetime, but there was no way Keith was going to ask Shiro for help deciphering this. Keith really had thought he had gotten good at understanding Lance, but apparently not. He had spent the past few days staring at Lance intently and trying to figure out what it meant when he blushed and turned away, or why he kept changing the subject when Keith complimented him or mentioned how comfortable his bed was. Keith had insisted that they spent as much time as possible in Lance’s room in an effort to lead them onto more sexual topics, or get at least a hint of Lance’s interests in mentioned topics. So far, no luck. Lance had determinedly kept their talking to polite conversation and flirting, and pulled away when their kissing got too heated to look out the window and point out birds or read Keith some more flower meanings from his book. Keith loved all of this, truly, but he was getting frustrated at Lance’s awkward avoision of anything remotely sexual. He wished they could just talk about it. He did realise he was being extremely hypocritical since he had not brought up the conversation either, but talking had never been his strong suit. It had always been Lance’s.

And now Keith had been left alone to overthink all of this, made worse by the fact he was lying on Lance’s bed, with a promise of Lance’s return but no idea where he had gone. He felt strangely awkward and vulnerable. He had laid on this bed plenty of times with Lance and explored Lance’s books and belongings, but being here by himself felt like an intrusion. As if, without Lance there, he would stumble upon something he was not meant to discover. Not that Keith was going to trifle through Lance’s things while he was absent. The bed was far too comfortable to justify getting up. 

He wished Lance would hurry up and return. More than that, he wished he knew where he had gone. Perhaps he had just run down to the kitchen to bring up more food, but Keith did not think so. Lance was always quite open about his many endeavours to the kitchen, sighing dramatically as he untangled his legs from Keith’s, reciting a much-used monologue about how the treacherous trip to the kitchen was worth it to bring back spoils for his hungry prince back in his room. Keith would always roll his eyes and remind Lance that he was not the one who had brought up food and that he was perfectly able to walk to the kitchen himself. Lance would assure him not to worry, and with that mischievous joy alight on his face, reminded Keith that it was part of his duties as a knight in shining armour as he slid out the door. 

Today, there had been none of that. 

Lance had awkwardly sat up on the bed, looked shyly away when questioned about where he was going, and mumbled about returning soon before shuffling out the door. Keith’s heart had restricted and he had an uneasy feeling in his stomach. 

He wondered how much longer Lance would be. Surely this was too long for a claim of returning soon. Likely, it had not been that long at all and Keith was worrying for nothing. 

Before Keith could fall into the black hole of possible reasons for Lance’s departure, which he had been carefully skirting around the edges of, Lance returned. He opened the door quietly as if Keith was sleeping and he did not wish to disturb him. Lance was carrying something behind his back, but trying to be subtle about it, which of course drew Keith’s attention to it even further. 

“Um,” Lance starts very ineloquently, looking down at his feet, “I have been thinking quite a lot, but I could not figure out which words to use. Which was honestly quite strange for me.” At this, he looks up and flashes Keith a grin that makes his heart flutter and the unease in his gut slowly unravel. “So I thought, no that is untrue, I stole the advice of Hunk, well I suppose advice is given and therefore taken not stolen, is it not? Anyway, the point is…” 

Lance trails off again, and then Keith has a bouquet being shoved in his face. He starts at the bouquet, and at how quickly Lance managed to cross the room towards him. It is because of this surprise that it takes Keith a while to properly look at the flowers and realise the meanings, and oh…

The bouquet is mainly made up of orange lilies, which Keith immediately recognises the meaning of. Lilies were always some of his favourites and had been some of the first ones he researched the meanings of. 

_Orange Lilies for passion and desire._

Scattered around the lilies are red poppies and a green plant that Keith does not recognise, but he has gotten the meaning of the bouquet clearly anyway. 

He looks up and Lance is blushing and refusing to meet his eyes. 

Lance clears his throat and starts talking again quickly as if to prevent Keith from saying anything, “I know that this is not everything, obviously we need to talk about this, I am not just giving you some flowers and then expecting you to just hop into bed with me,” Lance flushes an even deeper shade of red and looks as if he is regretting talking altogether, but charges onward anyway, “I am not expecting anything at all really, I just wanted to tell you how I felt and I was clearly doing a terrible job of that, probably still am honestly, but I do not want you to feel pressur-”

Keith puts the flowers down on the bed next to him and reaches up to pull down Lance next to him. Lance trips and falls down on top of Keith and sheepishly makes to get up again, but Keith wraps his arms around him. 

Lance looks as if he is about to start talking again, and Keith cannot stand the idea of Lance struggling through his explanation any further, so he closes the tiny gap between them and kisses Lance with everything he has. All the pent-up emotions he has been struggling with over the past weeks seep into the kiss, and Lance moans into his mouth. This startles Keith but spurs him on to kiss Lance deeper, longer, lingering. He tries his best to convey everything he has been struggling to say, and tell Lance that he understands, he agrees, that he does not need to explain himself. He chuckles a little at the bouquet, always a bouquet with them. They truly are hopeless at this, but maybe that is okay. Lance pulls away at the laugh, but Keith pulls him right back in. They kiss until Keith thinks that their mouths might be moulded together, until he thinks his heart has flown out of his chest, until the uneasy feeling in his stomach has turned into boiling lava. They kiss until Keith needs to breathe, and he pulls away just long enough to whisper, “We definitely need to talk. But for now, this. This is good.”

And then they kiss some more, and Lance laughs, and Keith moans, and everything is just absolutely _perfect._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The other plants in the bouquet are red poppies for pleasure and coriander for lust


	10. Red Roses for True Love

Lance’s parents wanted to meet Keith. 

They had been hinting at it for weeks, but Lance had acted oblivious to his mother’s comments over the dinner table; “that boy you have been spending time with seems very nice, pass the peas please, Lance,” and his father’s less-subtle “yes, you really have been spending an awful lot of time with- oof!” before he was cut off from Lance’s mother kicking him. He had ignored their conspiratorial looks, simply smiled when they told him to choose some nice flowers for Keith every time he went down to the greenhouse, and laughed light-heartedly when his mother complimented Keith’s appearance, always tacking on “if only he would cut that mop of hair!”  
They thought they were being subtle, and Lance was more than happy to oblige them. 

Apparently, they had given up on subtlety. 

Lance had woken up expecting a peaceful, relaxing day. He was disappointed at not being able to see Keith since he was off doing something with Shiro, but he had been optimistic about the day nonetheless. Maybe he would wander down to the greenhouse and tease Edgar, he mused. Or perhaps he would stay inside reading. 

Instead, partway through breakfast, his mother had announced that they were to have a picnic the following day and very strongly insisted that Lance bring Keith along. Before Lance had a chance to give an excuse to get Keith and himself out of it, his mother went on to explain that they knew Keith was busy today and had planned the picnic tomorrow to suit him.  
Lance received the message loud and clear. 

The picnic was his mother’s excuse to meet and interrogate Keith, and there was no way either Lance nor Keith were getting out of it. If Keith was busy, it would be rescheduled for another day. If Lance faked illness, he would be dragged along anyway under the excuse that “some sunshine and good food would do him the world of good”. He could hear his mother’s voice clear in his mind, paired with that knowing glint in her eye. Quite simply, any excuse Lance came up with would be seen through in a matter of seconds. To his mother, Lance had always been extremely transparent. 

That thought alone was terrifying. 

That thought paired with the realisation that his parents must have been planning this for weeks, all their sly remarks about Keith suddenly falling into place, well that was plenty more than enough to ruin Lance’s optimistic day. 

Some small part of him was still in denial. Maybe they just wanted to meet Lance’s new friend. Lance had not formally introduced them, after all. Lance did not make many long-term friends, he was charismatic and got on with a lot of people but not many stuck around for too long. Lance did not begrudge any of them that, but maybe his parents waited until they were sure Keith was staying before wanting to meet him. 

But Lance had never formally introduced Hunk either, and his parents had never seemed to mind that. They had never invited him on a picnic or talked about how much time Lance spent with him. They had just wandered into the kitchen one day while Lance and Hunk were cooking, teased Lance for only cooking when his friend was over and making his friend do most of the work, and as if it was the simplest thing in the world, Hunk was accepted into the family.  
Lance was grateful that they had not wandered in on him spending time with Keith, since they were likely to be doing something other than cooking, and that encounter would not have ended well. 

Neither would the picnic tomorrow, Lance was sure. Because as much as he would have liked to listen to the small voice inside his head denying it, he knew the truth. His parents knew what Keith really was to Lance, and there was no way they were not going to bring it up at the picnic. Lance was not surprised that they knew. Edgar knew. Not that he thought Ed had told them, but if his brother had guessed so had his parents. 

What he could not understand for the life of him though, was why they needed to talk about it at a picnic. 

~~~

It was a beautiful day, Lance thought miserably, as he followed his family alongside Keith. The sun was shining, and the sky looked blue in between the wisps of clouds. Lance wished it was raining instead. Maybe they would be able to postpone the picnic. 

Instead, the clouds were light and fluffy and there was no way they were going to drop water on them all. 

Lance let out a quiet sigh, not wanting to alert Keith or his family to his inner turmoil. 

Keith looked over at him and smiled, “So we are having a picnic out here after all.”

Lance let out a light laugh, “So we are.”

His mind flew back to when they had first started courting, out here on the manor’s lawns, when Keith had suggested a picnic. His mood lifted slightly at the thought. 

Lance looked over at Keith slyly, “Although we did still have a picnic. You did not specify you wanted it out here last time.”

“We can enjoy the weather more this time,” Keith replied simply, face turned toward the sky.  
Maybe Lance was glad it was not raining after all. 

“Just a bit further!” Lance’s father called from the front of the group as if they had been trekking for hours, and not in fact just a few minutes across the estate’s hills. They had set out as soon as Keith had arrived, having been brought by Shiro who had apparently been getting on quite well with Ed. 

After his mother decided on the perfect spot, a bit further than where he had brought Keith, looking out across the manor instead of hiding from it, they all laid out the mat and food and sat down. 

The atmosphere around them was suddenly very awkward. Lance was usually the one to break tense silences and make everyone comfortable, but he could not think of a single thing to say. It would be incredibly weird to introduce Keith since they already knew his name, and he was hardly going to go into the specifics of their relationship unless someone else brought it up. Lance felt it would be hypocritical to compliment the weather after his previous thoughts, and small talk about the weather was always a clear sign that you had nothing better to say.  
His parents were trading nervous looks, and Lance realised that they were trying to convince the other to talk first. Neither seemed happy about starting whatever conversation they had clearly prepared and somehow their anxiety made Lance’s ease up a bit. People were generally more confident and forthright when they were angry or displeased. 

Edgar, acting oblivious to the tense atmosphere, started piling food onto his plate and turned to Keith, “It is nice to talk to you in a context other than being a flower and message deliverer.”

Keith laughed and flushed a bit, taking the serving plate from Edgar looking thankful for something to do, “Have you thought about adding a delivery service to your flower business?”

“The thought had not occurred to me, I admit growing flowers interests me a lot more than dealing with people,” he glances slyly over at Lance, shaking his head in mock annoyance, “the things I do for my brother.”

Lance laughed but gave his brother a genuine smile. He really was grateful for Edgar, but he was not about to tell him in front of everyone else. 

“Lance, of course, has always been the opposite. Good with people but no patience for putting labour into gardening.” Lance tries to object, and Keith laughs, and Ed just continues on, “That is why our system worked, me with the greenhouse, and Lance with his stall.”

At this, Lance looks down, feeling guilty. He had regretted getting rid of his market stall as soon as he had made up with Keith and stopped feeling miserable, but Edgar had already handled the sale. It had been sold to a nice girl named Allura who’s Uncle Coran had bought for her. Allura was a friend of Pidge’s and had heard about it from her, and while Lance was glad that it was still in his circle of friends in a way, he missed his small part of Covent Garden.

“Sorry,” Lance looked up at Edgar, elaborating when Edgar looked confused, “For selling it.”

“Well, that is actually part of what we wanted to talk about,” Lance’s mother spoke up for the first time since they had sat down, tearing her gaze away from her stare with his father which had apparently still been going on this entire time. 

“Allura offered to sell it back to us or share it with you when she found out that you still wanted it,” Edgar explained. Lance did not ask how Allura found this out. Edgar and Pidge were both good at knowing what he was thinking. “So depending on what you decide, you could still work at the stall if you wished.”

“Decide on what?” Lance asked, feeling a bit lost. 

Edgar looked over at their mother, prompting her to continue. 

“Your father and I have been thinking…” Lance’s mother trailed off.

Lance’s father took a deep sigh and bluntly said, “We know you are in love with Keith.”

Lance choked on the food he was eating, and tried not to cough. He had thought as much but had not expected them to be so blunt about it. 

Neither apparently had his mother, who swatted his father on the arm and rushed to assure Lance that they were perfectly fine with it and happy for them both. 

“Of course we are!” his father looked confused. He had never been good at reading social situations. Lance supposed that was why he was so terrible at being subtle. 

“Yes, so happy for you that they want to send you away,” Edgar teased.

Lance was getting more confused by the moment and was unable to meet Keith’s eyes. How awkward he must feel having to sit through this in front of a family he had only just met. He tried to apologise telepathically but he did not think it was working. 

“Oh Edgar, hush, that is not it at all and you know it,” his mother chided. 

“We never sold our old house in Bath,” Lance’s father went on to say, “Since we inherited this one, we had no need to and thought that one of you boys would have a need for it at some point.”

Lance had not known this, but it made sense. 

“It is a lovely town, with fewer people who know you both and might be judgemental,” his mother said smiling sadly at them both.

“The house is yours if you want it,” Lance’s father concluded.

Lance looked over at Keith, but Keith was staring at Lance’s parents in awe, “You do not even know me that well, and still you are happy to do this for us?”

Lance’s mother laughed lightly, “Well we do not expect you to leave soon if you accept, and we are hoping to get to know you better, but ultimately, yes. You make our son happy.” 

Keith’s face lit up with a smile and Lance felt as if he would burst into tears at any moment. 

“So I can move to Bath with Keith, or stay and work at the stall at Covent Garden?” Lance asked, mind still whirring with all the surprises that had been dumped on him.

“Well you would still be able to visit and work at the stall whenever you wished, we are only an hour and a half away from Bath by train from here. Allura is more than happy to run the stall if you do not want to though, so you do not need to worry about letting me down.” Edgar smiled softly at his younger brother.

“And we could organise for you to sell flowers at the market in Bath as you used to before we moved, if you so wish,” Lance’s mother added. 

Lance met Keith’s eyes and saw his own joy mirrored in them. He turned his face into the sun and laughed joyously. He had never felt happier. 

~~~

After a few hours of laughter, eating food, and Lance’s mother asking Keith every question she could possibly think of, Lance’s family retreated inside to give the two boys some time alone.  
Lance knew his family better than that and was well aware that they would be spying on them from inside the house.

“Would you like to accompany me to the greenhouse, boy I am so obviously in love with?” Lance asked Keith, laughter still clear in his voice. 

“I think we should probably pack up the mat first,” Keith replied gesturing to the fabric they were still sitting on.

“You are sure to win my mother over in no time if you have not already,” Lance joked, standing up and helping to pull Keith up.

They folded up the mat and Keith swung it over his shoulder as they walked down to the greenhouse. Lance told Keith to dump it on one of the benches where there were no plants, sure that someone would pack it away later. 

“I have something to give you,” Lance said softly, suddenly feeling very nervous.

“Oh?” Keith asked looking genuinely surprised, “I have something for you too. Well, to show you at least.”

Lance smiled, lifting an eyebrow, “I am intrigued, you go first.”

Keith pulled a small journal out of his pocket and handed it to Lance, a blush creeping up his neck. Lance opened the book and flicked through the pages until one caught his attention and he stopped. He was speechless. Scattered across the pages were sketches of flowers with meanings scribbled next to them, but the sketch that stole Lance’s attention was of him. The sketch depicted him laughing, his head thrown back, a smile stretching towards his eyes. 

“Not to sound narcissistic,” Lance tried for a joking tone, but could not take the awe out of his voice, “But this is beautiful.”

“Since when have you worried about arrogance?” Keith managed a joke better than Lance had, but a blush still dusted his cheeks. 

“You are so talented, Keith,” Lance looked up from the book to meet his eyes, “Why did you not show me before?”

Keith gave a stiff shrug, “I wanted this to be a surprise. It is for you. I filled up all the pages.”

It was true. Lance continued to flick through more and more sketches of flowers, and some of himself, laughing, smiling, face turned up to the sun.

“It was originally just meant to be sketches of the flowers along with the meanings you taught me so that I could remember them,” Keith admits sheepishly, “I did have to look up some of the meanings myself though because, well, you are distracting.” 

Lance laughs at this, light and full of joy, and embraces Keith. Lance murmurs into his shoulder, “Thank you. I love it.” 

Keith hugs him tighter, “I am glad.”

They stand like that for a while, surrounded by flowers and sunlight, soaking in the warmth and joy radiating off of each other. 

Keith pulls back first, “You said you had something for me as well?” 

“Yes,” Lance says slowly, pulling away from Keith and moving further into the greenhouse. It was not really any different than usual, but somehow it felt more monumental to Lance. 

Lance picks up the bouquet that he had prepared earlier and made his way over to Keith, “I know I have already told you, but I wanted to show you as well, and I thought… well, I thought that this was the best way how, for us.”

Keith accepts the bouquet, and stares at it for a moment in thought, processing the meanings, before he lets out a choked laugh and brings a hand to his mouth, “Oh, Lance.”

“I love you,” Lance says softly, “A lot. And I wanted you to know that, that it is true love, not the other smaller loves that I have already told you about.”

Keith pulls Lance into another embrace, the rose thorns digging into his back but Lance did not mind one bit because Keith whispered into his ear, “I love you too. A lot. Truly.”

Lance let out his own choked laugh and pulled back to wipe tears from his eyes, “Good thing too, or this would be awfully embarrassing.”

Keith laughed again and Lance’s heart jumped in his chest. 

“Especially after my parents declared my love for you, for me,” Lance grinned, “Good thing I had already told you!”

“They must have been quite sure I already knew,” Keith agreed.

Lance’s smile faltered for a moment, “I am sorry if you felt uncomfortable, sitting through all that talk while you were there…”

Keith looked surprised and reached out to hold Lance’s hand, “Not at all, it was a million times better than my own parent's reaction.”

Lance gave Keith a small sad smile, he had been so caught up with his own parents that he had forgotten how Keith’s had reacted. 

“So,” Lance waved the journal at Keith, “Do you have amazing sketches of those flowers in here? Or did you run out of room drawing my handsome face?”

Keith chuckled and took the journal from Lance, flicking through the pages, “Yes, otherwise I would not have known what they meant, would I?”

Lance had not considered this, “Fair point. I am glad you knew, it would not have worked quite as well if I had needed to explain them to you.”

Keith shook his head in agreement and stopped flicking through the book, turning it around to Lance. Lance smiled down at Keith’s drawings, searching the page for the flowers he was looking for. He found the red roses and forget-me-nots next to each other amongst other flowers all with meanings of some variation of love, but the two meanings he was looking for were identical. 

_Red Roses for True Love. Forget-Me-Nots for True Love._

Keith hummed thoughtfully looking at his bouquet again, “They make a pretty combination, red and blue.”

Lance grinned up at Keith, “Indeed they do. So what do you say, true love of mine, want to move to Bath with me?”

Keith leaned in and kissed Lance softly on the lips, “Of course.”


End file.
